AUBURN — The city is getting a new bookstore.

Books-A-Million, an Alabama-based bookstore chain with 210 stores in 23 states and Washington, D.C., will take over the former Waldenbooks store in the Auburn Mall.

“It’s a great opportunity to bring the Books-A-Million experience to customers in that area,” company spokesman Bill Todd said. “We hope their love of books will be satisfied by coming to that store.”

Waldenbooks was owned by Borders Group Inc., which filed for bankruptcy earlier this year and recently closed all of its stores. Its Auburn closure left the Twin Cities without a full-scale, new-book bookstore, although Percy’s Burrow, a gift shop next to the former Waldenbooks, increased its selection of books in an effort to fill the void. Percy’s plans to keep its improved book selection, with a focus on children’s books and books by Maine authors.

In August, a bankruptcy judge allowed Books-A-Million to take over the leases of 14 Borders stores. In Maine, Books-A-Million will move into the former Borders stores in South Portland and Bangor, as well as the 6,000-square-foot former Waldenbooks in the Auburn Mall. All three stores are expected to open by mid-November. 

“We are pleased and tickled and excited,” said Auburn Mall General Manager David Lee, who believes the new bookstore could be open this month.

According to its website, Books-A-Million is the third-largest book retailer in the country. Most of its stores are in the South and the Southeast.

In August, Publishers Weekly cited a PubTrack review that found Books-A-Million’s sales leaned more toward religious books and slightly away from fiction, compared to Borders.

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